The English side and Wales will face off in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and Zimbabwe.
This draw recalls their infamous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 World Cup, where Wales' victory at England's home ground played a part in the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Key Pool Pairings
The Irish alongside Scotland also share a group together, just as the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. In that tournament, they claimed a 36-14 win, with Scotland failing to progress to the knockout stages.
Uruguay and Os Lobos, who each made a strong impression as surprise packages in France, complete that Pool D.
Significantly, the winners of these two groups cannot meet defending champions and world number one the Springboks until the showpiece match, presuming the South Africans top their assigned pool.
Knockout Implications
Should the pools play out according to the current world rankings, further leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from both the English and Ireland until the championship decider.
In that scenario, Los Pumas would be the remaining highly-seeded nation on the same side of the elimination bracket as those northern hemisphere teams.
Hosts Draw Blockbuster Opener
Tournament hosts Australia have been drawn alongside their great rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the World Cup in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster match designed to jump-start the competition.
Elsewhere, reigning champions the Springboks have been paired with Italy, Georgia and Romania. The French team are in a pool with the Brave Blossoms, 2031 hosts the USA and Samoa.
Expanded Tournament for 2027
Los Pumas will face Fiji, Spain and Canada as the tournament grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in France.
This edition will introduce a last-16 stage for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the victor of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the game's heavyweights initially, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the last 16.
A total of four of the other six pool winners will face a team that finished third from the initial group phase.
RWC 2027 Groups
Pool A
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Chile
- Hong Kong
Pool B
- South Africa
- Italy
- Georgia
- Romania
Pool C
- Argentina
- Fiji
- Spain
- Canada
Pool D
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Uruguay
- Portugal
Pool E
- France
- Japan
- USA
- Samoa
Pool F
- England
- Wales
- Tonga
- Zimbabwe
